Guys not to toss a wrench into you conversation here but not all table salt has Iodine in it, You can buy Non Iodized table salt in fact all kosher salt is non iodized.

But as that article that Pickupman66 linked to says there are some pretty big differences between the two. And the only instances I have ever heard of table salt being used is for treatment for some tropical fishes and goldfish but again its the Non Iodized Salt.

kosher has nothing to do with the salt's mineral composition... it is used to describe the kind of salts used in the koshering process, which uses coarse salts because it has better absorption of fluids.

If it were natural sea salt, I would be concerned whether you will find that it mixes with water to the correct concentrations needed...

I don't think it will be a way to save money, and so I would just use a salt made for aquariums without worrying about it..

You can't use table salt to replace a salt mix, if that's your question? It does not have any of the necessary trace elements for example and will poison your tank due to impurities from the mining process and additives. I think people have used it as an iodine supplement though (although not a good one), maybe that's what your finding?

People also contemplate using "sea salt", once and a while, as gcarroll mentioned. This also won't work due to the fact certain components will not redissolve, such as calcium and alkalinity and there is still the problem of impurities. IMO, risking killing off everything in your tank isn't worth saving a few bucks, but I know I'm a bit crazy like that LOL.

the table salt with the iodine is different from the table sea salt. but i wouldnt even think of using table sea salt. way to much money in a reef system to chance that.

also table sea salts are all different i have several from different parts of the country, the minerals and things in them make them all taste a little different from each other. its really amazing. how they all have their own flavors and some work better with some foods and others with other foods.

The normal fine grained table salt has iodine. The sea salt that you grind doesn't have iodine. Thats the only difference between the two except for the grain size. FYI: People are tring to be healthier by eating just the sea salt, but you NEED iodine in your diet. It helps prevent goiters.

I've done this and it worked. you can use sea salt(without anti-caking agent) but you have to run it with activated carbon for the first few weeks. Then test for trace elements. my tank is 1 year old now.

Useful Searches

About 3Reef

Reef aquariums made easy with 3reef aquarium forums - one of the oldest and friendliest aquarium forums online. 3reef came online in 1996 as 'Three Steps To A Reef Aquarium.' This title was created as an attempt to overcome the common fears associated with keeping a reef aquarium, especially at that time. 3reef still retains its roots and remains a friendly forum for new people interested in aquariums and veteran hobbyist alike.